Weather Glossary
- El Nino
El Nino is Spanish for little boy and it is what local South American fisherman call a warmer than usual current along the western coast of that continent at Christmas time. Most years, the strong and prevailing trade winds blow westward dragging the warmest surface waters across the Pacific to Australia and Indonesia. But every 2 to 7 years, these trade winds weaken or change direction. This allows the warm waters to change direction and head toward the coast of South America, increasing water temperatures there as much as 5°C. This causes changes in atmospheric pressure which, in turn, trigger a shift in global weather patterns. (See La Nina)
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